A rogue black bear has caused significant disruption at Yamagata Airport in northern Japan today, forcing the cancellation of all flights and the declaration of the facility as off-limits to passengers for the remainder of the day.
The ursine intruder first appeared on the airport’s runway early this morning, immediately prompting its closure. This initial sighting led to delays of up to an hour for four scheduled flights.
The unexpected visitor made a second appearance around noon, once again “running” on the runway. Airport staff reportedly used a vehicle to chase the bear away and re-closed the runway.
“Given the situation there is no way we can host plane arrivals now,” Yamagata Airport official Akira Nagai told AFP Thursday evening, adding the second closure led to 12 flight cancellations.
With hunters brought in to set up a trap and police officers surrounding the airport to prevent the bear from escaping, “we’re in a stalemate now”, Nagai said.
The facility plans to keep the runway closed till around 8:00pm, the official said.
Human encounters with bears have reached record levels in Japan, with 219 people attacked and six deaths in the 12 months to April 2024.
Last month, a bear sighting brought a premature end to a golf tournament in central Japan, with organisers citing safety precautions.
Climate change affecting food sources and hibernation times, along with depopulation caused by an ageing society, are causing bears to venture into towns more frequently, scientists said.